Local man faces multiple charges following arrest incident

From the El Dorado Springs Newsroom

Johnathon Dean Dehart is scheduled to appear in court on Wednesday, December 18, 2024, at 10:00 a.m. at the Cedar County Courthouse. Dehart faces several charges, including two counts of First-Degree Harassment, Resisting or Interfering With Arrest, and Violation of an Order of Protection for Adults. According to a probable cause statement released by the Cedar County Sheriff’s Office, Deputy Elder responded to a report of a violation of an adult protection order issued in November 2024. Upon making contact with Dehart, the deputy inquired about the situation. Dehart alleged that his neighbors were harassing him, tampering with his property, and stealing from him. The report states that Deputy Elder informed Dehart he was under arrest and attempted to place handcuffs on him. Dehart firmly refused, insisting that the deputy should instead call the VA crisis hotline. Elder assured Dehart he could contact the hotline once he was in handcuffs. However, Dehart persisted in demanding to call the hotline immediately and turned his back on the deputy while attempting to make the call, declaring that an officer was unlawfully detaining him. After several unsuccessful attempts to follow the deputy’s instructions, Elder physically intervened by grabbing Dehart’s arm to place it behind his back. The deputy encountered difficulties while trying to secure the handcuffs, which he initially believed were malfunctioning. Eventually realizing that clothing and jewelry were the obstacles, Elder struggled to manage Dehart’s resistance. In a further attempt to control the situation, Dehart grasped a cable connected to the tailgate of a Dodge pickup truck. Elder, attempting to assist Dehart to the ground, faced continued resistance. After multiple failed efforts to subdue Dehart, the deputy withdrew a taser from its holster to gain compliance. When Dehart saw the taser, he moved toward the driver’s side of the truck, prompting Elder to deploy the taser, striking Dehart in the middle of the back. Dehart fell to the ground, rolling under the truck while claiming he surrendered. Despite commands to crawl out from under the vehicle, Dehart attempted to rise again, leading Elder to activate the taser once more. Eventually, Dehart complied and returned to the ground, at which point he was placed in handcuffs with assistance from Correction Officer Bryant. After several directives for Dehart to enter the patrol car, he was ultimately assisted into the vehicle as the situation was resolved.

Stay updated on this case by subscribing to The El Dorado Sun. To report a correction or typo, please email sunpub@centurylink.net. Please include the article info in the subject line of the email.